Calpoly in London
Summer 2026

Dates: June 18 - July 31, 2026 (6 weeks)

Academics

Earn 8-10 units of Cal Poly GE Credit in a 6-week program in London, England!

• ASTR 324 "Longitude, Navigation, and Timekeeping" (Upper-division Area B, 4 units)
• ISLA 316 "London: From Roman Colony to World Capital" (Upper-division Area D, 4 units)
• We're working on a "service learning component," where you'll actually go out and work in a London museum or cultural center a few hours a week (2 units)

(This program is like doing a 6-week summer session at Cal Poly, only it's based in London, England.)

Costs

• About $12k-$14k for the 6 weeks (so ~$2350/wk), which covers: A flat (in Kensington, with a shared kitchen), Cal Poly tuition, class excursions, free local transportation (the tube, buses, etc.) in central London.
• Not included: Airfare, personal expenses (weekend travel, etc.), meals
• Scholarships are available.

Links

• Curious? BEST THING YOU CAN DO: Get on our list and Dr. Bensky will keep you in the loop on info sessions and deadlines.
• Browse through here: Study abroad 101 to acclimate yourself to the idea of studying abroad.
• Email Dr. Bensky at tbensky@calpoly.edu (we can Zoom too!) with any questions.
• For program specific inquiries, contact Study Abroad Program Coordinator, Ingrid Almaguer at ialmague@calpoly.edu.
• Official Cal Poly London site: https://abroad.calpoly.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=10889
• A poster Dr. Bensky presented about this program
• We'll start a Slack for our trip as soon as people start signing up. We can keep in touch easily in London that way. Stay tuned.

Contact

• Questions? Want to Zoom about this? Write Tom Bensky at tbensky@calpoly.edu or stop by my office 180-616.
• Dr. Bensky is a professor here at Cal Poly in the Physics Department.

Program Summary

Written by Dr. Bensky (who has taught in this program before and will be going in Summer 2026):

• This program is like summer school at Cal Poly, only it is held in London.
• This is an official Cal Poly program. It is not run by an external company.
• It is run by one Cal Poly professor (Summer 2026: T. Bensky), and one London-based instructor.
• It will consist of you along with about 20 other Cal Poly students. Our academics and trips don't mix with any other students.
• We leave the Thursday after graduation in the spring, and come back around Aug 1st. (Note: Cal Poly will be on semesters in Fall 2026 and will start in late August).
• The academic program consists of six weeks of class, that mostly meet in the mornings. There are many, many day trips that serve as "the class" for the day, so we are not going there to sit in "lectures." Our classes are carefully designed and planned to use "London as a laboratory."
• Assignments and course credit come from doing things along these trips.
• There are no classes on Fridays, so at the end of each week you have 3 days off to go out and explore. This is an important part of your experience.
• There are tons of things to do in and around London (or on quick train trips--Wales, Scotland, Cambridge, Oxford, Brighton Beach, etc.).
• You can even squeeze in a trip to mainland Europe on the weekends (Germany, Prague, France, etc.), which are mostly an hour away by flights (cheap on RyanAir).
• The classroom and living space are all proivded by a hosting company (Fie), here.
• The hosting company is very professional. They offer all kinds of student services, and can help you to plan side trips and give you ideas on things to do. They also have a lot of tips for "living in London on a budget."
• You'll love your flat.
• Your flat is a spectacularly remodeled living space in South Kensington, right by the Embassies. You'll have large, shared kitchen, fast Wifi, and are right across the street from Kensington Gardens (great place to jog).

Summary of Classes

ASTR-324 (Upper division B) taught by Dr. Bensky
The Cal Poly course catalog description is here. “Longitude, Time, and Navigation” in London, is designed to be a fun, stimulating and whirlwind look at the history of navigation, timekeeping, lost ships, clocks, and the use of basic astronomy to find your location (i.e navigate). The class is a mix of 1700s history, science and technology. In London, you will be in the world-wide center of the cultural and historical development of timekeeping and navigation. Our class will primarily consist of us traveling to many sites, in and around London (Greenwich Observatory, museums, old ships, cathedrals, etc.) to ‘live’ the story of...you guessed it. “Longitude, time and navigation!” Note: On day #1 of our class, I'm taking you all to the V&A museum which is right down the street from our classroom. I have a few things to show you in there. Let's go!

Here's a draft schedule for the 6-weeks.

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ILSA-316 (Upper division D) taught by a London-based instructor (summary written by Dr. Bensky)
The Cal Poly course catalog description is here. This is a great class that will allow you to learn all about London. The instructor is London-based and very knowledgeable. You'll go on tons of day trips to Kensington Palace, the War Museum, Tate Modern, British Museum, Westminster Abbey, and many historical and cultural stops in London. Between living there for 6-weeks and this class, you'll be an expert on London when you return.

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Service learning
We are working on an optional volunteer component, where you'll go out and work in London at some cultural site, like the British Museum for a few hours a week, coupled with a leadership workshop. Stay tuned.